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DE RUEHJM #0029/01 0071229
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O 071229Z JAN 10
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7195
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEADWD/DA WASHINGTON DC//DAS-ZD/DACS-ZK//
RUEAHQA/CSAF WASHINGTON DC//POLAD//
RHMFIUU/CMC WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/CNO WASHINGTON DC//POLAD//
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 8028
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4997
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4845
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 6333
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 4764
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3368
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000029
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STATE PASS BBG
STATE FOR NEA, NEA/IPA, NEA/PPD
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE, SIT ROOM
NSC
CMC WASHINGTON DC FOR POLAD
JERUSALEM ALSO FOR ICD
LONDON FOR HKANONA AND POL - TSOU
PARIS ALSO FOR POL
ROME FOR MFO
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KMDR KPAL KWBG KPAO IS
SUBJECT: JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (01/07): Israel plans for more new
settlements in East Jerusalem neighborhoods
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Main Stories:
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Independent daily Al-Quds and PA official daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida
lead with news that the Jerusalem municipality endorsed the
construction of a new Jewish neighborhood in Shufat, which will
include a commercial center and three large buildings. The reports
note that the Israeli authorities will confiscate approximately
5,000 square meters of land in order to build the new neighborhood.
According to Israeli Radio, this new neighborhood is one of 60
similar projects the municipality intends to pursue in the Shufat
and Beit-Hanina neighborhoods.
In related news, Al-Quds runs a separate front page story citing
Wafa that the Israeli authorities submitted 13 demolition orders
against Palestinian houses in the south Nablus area yesterday and
gave the families 48 hours to leave their homes.
The dailies front page news that the humanitarian aid convoy for
Gaza reached the Rafah border crossing yesterday and entered Gaza
after two days of bloody clashes with the Egyptian police. According
to press reports, the clashes resulted in the death of one Egyptian
police officer and injured dozens of Palestinians.
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida's lead headline highlights President Abbas
telling the Kuwaiti press yesterday that he signed the national
reconciliation agreement despite US pressure not to.
Maan runs a report citing Israeli TV Channel 10 news that Israeli
Defense Forces completed a large-scale military drill in the Negev
preparing troops for a military offensive against the Gaza Strip.
The report, aired Tuesday evening, speculated that the training
could be seen as preparation for a re-occupation of the territory.
Maan also reports that the Palestine Liberation Organization's (PLO)
Mission to the United States announced on Wednesday that its new
website and Facebook page were up and running. "Both are part of our
larger effort to improve our communications and relations with the
American-Palestinian community and the American public at large,"
said Christopher Hazou, the PLO's communications officer in
Washington.
The local press highlights the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem
sponsoring a digital video conference on the H1N1 virus with Daniel
Rutz, Associate Director of Communication Science for the National
Center for Infectious Diseases of the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention on Wednesday to help combat the misinformation in
some of the local and regional press about the virus and vaccine.
The Director General of Primary Care and Public Health of the PA
Ministry of Health, Dr. Asad Ramlawi, moderated the discussion with
Palestinian health practitioners from various PA ministries, as well
as representatives from other local and international organizations
and members of the Palestinian press corps.
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BLOCK QUOTE:
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Asad Abdel Rahman, writing in Al-Quds under the title "Four States
in Historic Palestine!" proposes a cynical analysis reflecting how
miserable the situation is in Palestine. Abdel Rahman notes that
practically speaking, there are four states within Palestine: The
State of Israel; the State of Settlers; the State of the West Bank;
JERUSALEM 00000029 002 OF 002
and, the State of Gaza. He wonders whether it will ever be possible
to restore Palestine with these facts on the ground.
RUBINSTEIN